Buttonhole edging



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Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUTTON HOLE EDGING Application May 8, 1936, Serial No. 78,546

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a class of merchandise known as buttonhole edging or loop trim, which normally consists of a narrow strip of braided, woven or knitted fabric having a series of loops extending laterally from one edge thereof in spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the strip.

The stripis adapted to be sewn to one piece of material, adjacent one edge thereof, with the loops projecting outwardly from said edge to be passed over a series of buttons secured to another piece of fabric underlying the piece to which the trim strip is sewn, to secure the two pieces of goods together, as, for example, at the front of a ladys or childs coat, sweater, pajamatop, Waist, wrap-around skirt, dressing gown, bath robe, etc.

Normally the loops are made of a non-elastic but flexible core thread wrapped with a silk or other thread similar in character and appearance to the threads of which the body of the trim strip is composed and the wrapped cord is woven, knitted, or interbraided with the threads of the trim strip or sewn or otherwise secured to the strip intermediate the loops to form the whole into an integral unit. 1

The inelastic character of the loops makes it possible to use the edging with only one size of button which necessitates the making of a different strip for each of the many sizes of buttons with which such edging is normally used.

An object of the present invention is to provide adjustable loops on the edging in order that one strip may be used with a plurality of differently sized buttons.

Another object of the invention is tomake the loops automatically adjustable to the sizes of the diiferent buttons.

A further object of the invention is to make the loops of an elastic character whereby the button loops can be stretched over buttons of various sizes and which will automatically contact behind the button, around the shank of the button or around a rivet, link, sewing or other means by which the button is secured to the undermost of the two flaps of fabric connected together by the buttons and the loops, whereby the loops will be held against accidentally slipping off the buttons and whereby under strains to which buttons and buttonholes are frequently placed the loops will yield and prevent either the breaking of the loops or the pulling off of the buttons or both, as frequently occurs.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, my invention resides in the novel structure as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the m claims. 5'

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a small piece of edging made in accordance with the principles of the present invention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view 1'6 taken substantially along the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 33, Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar face views of frag- H ments of two overlapping flaps or pieces of mait terial connected together with loops of the same size and differently sized buttons respectively, in accordance with the present invention; and

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged transverse sections taken substantially along the lines 'l'l, Fig. 4; 8--8, Fig. 5; and 9-41, Fig. 6 respectively.

As shown in Fig. 1, the edging comprises a body strip i of suitable material and a series of button or trim loops 2, 2 which are of uniform size and spaced, preferably equally, along and g projecting laterally from one edge of the body strip I.

While the body strip I may be made in any suitable manner, such as by weaving, knitting, braiding, etc., it is preferred to make the strip of a braided construction with the threads of which the braid is composed being of an inelastic nature, such as cotton, silk, wool, rayon, linen, etc., whereby the strip I will be of a substantially inelastic nature longitudinally thereof.

The loops 2 are preferably composed of a core thread 3 of a highly elastic nature and for this purpose it is preferred to use a rubber core thread of the cut or round extruded latex type, preferably the latter.

The core thread 3 is preferably covered by thread of the same general character as the threads of which the body strip I is composed, see Fig. 2, although a different kind of covering thread may be used and it may be of the same color or of a diiferent color according to the ultimate result desired.

The covering 4 on the core thread 3 may be merely wrapped spirally in single or double ply in the same or in opposite directions or braided around the core thread as desired, the only requisite being that the covering be such that it will permit of a free elongation of the loop within liberal limits and thereby determine the maximum size to which the loop 2 may be stretched and which will contract with the core thread to the minimum size loop without wrinkling, whereby the loop will present a neat, smooth appearance at all times.

As shown in Fig. 1 those portions 5 of the loop-forming elastic filament 6 which are disposed intermediate successive loops 2 extend in a general direction longitudinally of the body strip I. These portions 5, as well as the free ends of the loops, i. e. the ends of. single loops if considered individually, may be secured to the body strip I in any suitable manner, preferably in such a manner that they will be held tightly to the body strip and thereby have the elasticity of the filament between the loops 2, 2 rendered ineffective, in order that the body strip will not be distorted if and when any one of the loops is subjected to severe tensional strain; the legs of each of the loops 2, in the present instance, are secured to opposite faces of the body strip I thereby causing the longitudinal axes of the loops to be normally positioned in substantially the same plane as the body strip to effect a generally flat fabric structure. This is preferably accomplished by interfabricating, as by interweaving, interbraiding or otherwise combining the portions 5 with the body strip I during fabrica tion thereof so as to form a unitary structure.

Preferably the strip i, see Fig. 3, is of a braided nature with the portions 5 of the loop-forming strand or filament 6 interbraided with the threads of the body strip I in such a manner that these portions 5 are rendered practically inelastic while those portions of the filament 6 of which the loops 2 are formed will retain maximum elasticity limited only by the nature of the covering 4 and which, as noted above, will determine the maximum extent of stretch of each loop.

As shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, the body strip I is adapted to be secured to the top flap- A of a garment, for example, by sewing, or other suitable means indicated at Ill, with the loop edge of. the body strip I lying substantially flush with or in closely adjacent substantially parallel rela tion to the edge a of said flap A, said edge a lying in overlap-ping relation to the edge 2) of the second flap B of the garment.

The flap 3 has secured thereto in any suit able manner, as for example by tailors or seamstresses thread links I I, buttons of any one of a number of different sizes, as indicated at I2a, I21) and I20 in Figs. 4, '7; Figs. 5, 8 and Figs. 6, 9 respectively, and about which the loops 2 are adapted to be passed.

As a matter of illustration, it is preferred to make the loops 2 and the covering 4 of the core thread 3 thereof in such a manner that each loop will be capable of embracing any one of a group of buttons of which IZa may represent the smallest in diameter and I20 the largest in diameter, whereby a single edging can be used, for example, with three differently sized buttons within one size bracket or group, another edging to be used with a bracket including the next three button sizes, and so on up and down the full range of button sizes, whereby a storekeeper, tailor, seamstress or other garment manufacturer, etc. need keep in stock but one third of the quantity of edging formerly required where the loops were of a fixed size requiring a different edging for each different size of button.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 9', the loops 2 fit snugly around the connecting link II of the maximum size button of one group while the same size loop fits the connecting link II of the smallest size button of that particular group with slight clearance around or at least at opposite sides of the link II but with the loop contracted to such an extent under the button that accidental separation of the loop from the button is prevented.

While the edging has been disclosed as a means for securing two parts of a garment together, it will be clear that the edging may be used for other purposes, for example, as a trimming wherein the loops will function in a purely ornamental capacity and while but one form of the invention has been illustrated it is obvious that the body strip may be of any desired width and may be of a simple plain design or of an ornamental woven, knitted, or braided construction without departing from the spirit of the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of substantially inelastic flexible material adapted to be attached to an article of wearing apparel, and an elastic strand arranged to provide one or more elongated elastic buttonhole loops extending normally lengthwise in a direction away from one of the edges of the strip and having the strand portions forming the free ends of the loops interfabricated with the material of said strip.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a braided strip of substantially inelastic flexible material adapted to be attached to an article of wearing apparel, and an elastic strand arranged to provide one or more elongated elastic buttonhole loops extending normally lengthwise in a direction away from one of the edges of the strip and having the strand portions forming the free ends of the loops interfabricated with the material of said strip.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of substantially inelastic flexible material adapted to be attached to an article of wearing apparel, and a continuous elastic strand arranged to provide a plurality of elongated elastic buttonhole loops extending normally lengthwise in a direction away from one of the edges of the strip and having the strand portions between the loops interfabricated with the material of said strip and extending across the material from edge to edge thereof.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a strip of substantially inelastic flexible material adapted to be attached to an article of wearing apparel, and a continuous elastic strand arranged to provide a plurality of elongated elastic buttonhole loops extending normally lengthwise in a direction away from one of the edges of the strip and secured to opposite faces thereof and having the strand portions between the loops interfabricated with the material of said strip and extending in a substantially zigzag line from edge to edge thereof.

JOHN W. SWEENEY. 

